Active Release Technique

Are you interested in a non-invasive treatment for your soft tissue or nerve pain? Many patients come to Accelerate Health seeking innovative ways to help their bodies heal from injury, overuse or a variety of other conditions. We offer several treatment options for improving their health and alleviating pain, including the non-narcotic, non-surgical active release technique. Active release technique, abbreviated as ART, is a leading treatment option for relief from pain caused by injury and overuse. 

Developed in the early 1980s by Dr. Michael Leahy, ART was a new approach to soft tissue treatment that was designed to be more effective than existing treatments. Leahy wanted to help patients restore their bodies more quickly and ensure that their treatment plan actually supported the best possible outcomes. Today, more than 20,000 practitioners offer this method to their patients. 

How Does Active Release Technique Work?

ART works by targeting specific areas in the body’s soft tissues with careful manipulation  to treat injuries. The process begins with an examination by your practitioner to isolate the problem area. Once the treatment area has been defined, your provider will begin utilizing the protocols of ART to treat the affected area. 

These protocols include a focus on the importance of touch. ART providers are trained to recognize individual muscle groups by hand, as well as how to use gentle movement and precise manipulation to treat the area. Dr. Leahy found that direct touch yielded more successful results and improved healing times. ART chiropractors are professionals who must be certified for the treatment of your specific injury or issue. They must complete a seminar every 12 months and pass a hands-on test to receive their certification. 

1. Who Can Benefit from ART?

ART is a gentle, non-invasive method that can help many people experiencing pain in their tendons or muscles, as well as pain caused by issues with your nerves.

It is particularly useful for treating:

• Athletes experiencing pain caused by overuse or injury.
• Patients with chronic pain.
• Patients seeking non-narcotic pain management.
• People in jobs with repetitive motion, such as typing or assembly.
• People in strenuous labor roles.
• Individuals in the service industry.
• Headache sufferers.

2. What Type of Conditions Can Active Release Technique Help?

ART can provide relief in a variety of conditions. Treatment is not limited to athletes, as you saw in the previous section. People of all ages and abilities may experience an overuse injury, sore muscles or nerve pain at some point in their lives.

ART is used to treat many types of pain or injury, including:

• Muscle pain
• Back pain
• Headache
• Neck pain
• Overuse injuries
• Tendons
• Ligaments
• Fascia
• Shoulder pain
• Sciatic issues
• Tendonitis
• Strains
• Sprains
• And other pain inducing conditions.

3. How Do I Know if I Can Benefit from ART?

The easiest way to find out if the benefits of ART will work for you is to schedule a consultation with a certified provider. At Accelerate Health, our providers use a comprehensive assessment to determine if your particular pain or injury will improve with treatment. Many patients can experience improved outcomes and achieve their goals for healing and pain relief.

4. How is ART Different?

The power of ART lies in the specificity of the treatment. Pressure and manipulation create relief for the patient at the source of their pain as applied to the affected area. The intention is to promote healing faster and relieve pain more quickly without invasive methods. For example, Many patients seek out ART because they wish to treat their issues without painful, costly methods that may not achieve the desired results. Other patients wish to find alternatives to pharmaceutical treatment. 

In addition, not only is ART non-invasive and more comprehensive, but it's also a gentle treatment. The process is painless, minus the occasional discomfort that may come with certain movements. You can inform your provider if you feel pain or if you are not comfortable with certain movements. They will work to accommodate you. 

Find Relief. Improve Your Healing.

ART has been a proven treatment method for nearly three decades. For patients who wish to treat their injuries with non-invasive methods, or reduce their reliance on prescription and OTC painkillers, ART may be able to provide relief. Accelerate Health practices ART and provides multiple treatment options that help patients live lives free from pain.

Call us today to learn more about how ART can help you return to your daily life without constant pain. We look forward to helping you heal!
 
 

Have you ever wondered what the difference is between a sprain and a strain? While the names of these two injuries are nearly identical, each impacts the body in a different way. Let’s take a closer look at how sprains and strains differ, their impact on an injured patient, and options for treatment. 

Strain vs. Sprain

A sprain involves injury to the ligaments holding the joint together, commonly occurring at the ankle, knee, wrist, and thumb joints. A strain involves injury to the muscle or tendons attaching the muscle to the bone, sometimes called a “pulled muscle.” Strains usually occur in your low back and hamstring but can also occur in your ankles, legs, elbows, and hands. Both sprains and strains are usually related to an acute injury with common symptoms including pain or tenderness, swelling, redness or bruising, and limited range of motion. 

How Do Strains and Sprains Impact Our Daily Life?

Both sprains and strains can occur at any age and through a variety of activities, including both work and sports. In fact, sprains and strains are in the top five most common athletic injuries, as well as one of the most common workplace injuries. 

In workplace injuries, the most commonly affected area is the back — people not stretching adequately or lifting properly when completing a physical task and suddenly find themselves in agonizing pain. Strains can also occur when a person performs repetitive tasks that overwork the muscles or tendons. Injuries can also occur if a person slips or falls, spraining the ligaments on impact or straining the muscle due to overextension.
In athletic or exercise injuries, sprains and strains are more likely to occur due to overuse, exhaustion, or impact. Overuse is the most common, due to the amount of time athletes spend in training and on the field. Exhaustion can lead to improper form or muscle weakness, which can also contribute to sprains and strains. In contact sports like football, sprains, and strains can occur during player collisions, or if a limb goes one way and the player goes the other. 

Both injuries can bench you, either from performing your daily duties on the job or interfering with your training. Neither one of those options is appealing to most people, which makes healing effectively (and quickly) important. These seemingly small injuries can also slow you down at home, preventing you from doing the things you enjoy, like a morning run, playing with the kids, walking the dog, or even just cooking a simple dinner. To help prevent sprains and strains, stretch your body before any physical activity and do additional strengthening exercises to keep your muscles in good shape. 

Treating Sprains and Strains: What is Active Release Technique?

If you think you have a strain or sprain there are some easy at-home steps you can take to help the immediate injury before seeing a doctor. Rest and avoid activities that cause pain. You can ice the area, and compress the area with an elastic wrap to help reduce swelling and elevate the injured body part. 

In addition to rest, there are other methods you can use to help accelerate your healing and manage pain. Active release technique (ART) is a patented technique that treats many small tissues in the body, such as muscles, tendons, ligaments, and fascia. Many conditions that ART treats are due to overuse which can result in loss of normal function, pain, and weakness. Overuse of muscles and other soft tissues can result in tears, spasms, pulls, or hypoxia to the injured area which causes scar tissue to form. This makes it difficult for healthy tissues to move normally, causes muscle weakness, and puts extra tension on tendons. 

ART is noninvasive and beneficial for people who have tried other unsuccessful treatments. It utilizes targeted manipulations and tension while the patient performs specific movements. This helps to break up the scar tissue and promote healing. Some common conditions that benefit from active release technique include:

• Lower back pain
• Chronic neck pain
• Tension headaches
• Carpal tunnel Sciatic nerve pain
• Plantar fasciitis
• Tennis elbow 
• And more!

Treat Sprains and Strains with Accelerate Health

If you have recently suffered a sprain or strain, you don’t have to wait around for the pain to stop. Accelerate Health provides sprain and strain patients with a variety of treatment options, including ART. We can help you manage your pain, promote healing and break up scar tissue that hinders your progress. Call our offices today to discuss your options for treatment and set up a consultation.